Mighty Quinn
Bible Hill javelin thrower enjoys success at Legion competition, Canada Games
Maddie Quinn returned home from the national Legion track and field championships in Manitoba where she won silver in the youth girls division, and was also solid at the Canada Games in Winnipeg.
Maddie Quinn has firmly established herself as one of the top young javelin throwers in the country.
The Bible Hill resident returned home this week from the national Legion track and field championships in Brandon, Man., where she nabbed a silver medal in the youth girls division. A week earlier, Maddie nailed down a solid fifth-place finish at the Canada Summer Games in Winnipeg.
It was her second straight silver medal at Legion nationals. Maddie’s throw of 45.40m was second to only Jv Patry-Smith, of B.C., who threw 46.70m on her final throw of the competition to win gold.
Maddie’s training partner, Heath Miller, of Pictou County, finished third (43.53m).
“It was really good competition,” said Maddie, who has four top-three finishes in four Legion national competitions. “I was really happy with how things went even though I didn’t get first place. It just shows that’s how competitions go and it keeps me wanting to come back.”
Maddie, 17, was among a group of Truro Lions who fared well at the Legion competition. Teammate CJ Grant was fourth in the youth hammer throw, while Matt Jones was sixth in the midget high jump. Brayden Grey was 11th in the midget 100m and Michael Adams was 11th in youth javelin.
The Canada Games, said Maddie,
was an experience of a lifetime.
“The whole atmosphere was just incredible; it was just all athletes all the time.
“The Canada Games, I think, besides the Olympics, is one of the best things that an athlete can do. It’s awesome.”
Maddie’s fifth-place finish was an impressive feat, considering she was one of the youngest throwers at the Games and was competing against some athletes who were four and five years older.
“I walked in wanting to finish top eight and I succeeded, and it shows I have potential to become a really good javelin thrower, and I’m very, very happy with the way things went,” said Maddie, who will begin her senior year at CEC in September.
Maddie said she took advantage of the opportunity to learn from some of Canada’s best throwers while at the Games.
“It was amazing – just to sit there and watch them throw and to talk to everybody and get to know them and just see where they’re from and how they train.”
Maddie’s coach, Iain LaPointe, said he’s not surprised by her success this summer.
“She’s definitely got a future in this sport, if she chooses to pursue it,” said LaPointe.
“She’s shown great promise as a young, developing athlete and if she can continue to work at it then I see big things in her future.
“She’s competing against the best university aged throwers in Canada and beating a lot of them, so her development’s definitely going in the right direction.”
As for the future, Maddie is determined to stay in the sport and continue her rise to the top.
“If I could make a career out of this I would,” she said. “That’s what I hope to do. It’s a pretty incredible thing.”